Staying Strong
by loserslikemedefygravity
Summary: Kurt's worst nightmares are realized when he's faced with his old school bully again. In the aftermath, will he be able to fight the pain and stay strong? Rated M for language and sexual abuse. Klaine, Finchel, various friendship/family development, etc.
1. Chapter 1

Dalton was on break for the week and Kurt was happy to be home with the family, while, of course, texting Blaine 24/7. He was in his own house, his father and stepmother happily poking their heads into his room every now and then to ask a quick question and mention they were glad he was back. Finn even seemed in a particularly good mood, recently made up with Rachel and having his stepbrother back home. After their recent discussion at the coffee shop, Blaine had been more committed to the friendship than Kurt had ever seen him and particularly flirtier. The atmosphere was warm and Kurt couldn't have been in a better mood.

That evening, Kurt had wandered into the kitchen to find Finn pulling on a sweatshirt and grabbing his backpack.

"Where are you off to?" Kurt asked lazily, the slight smile still on his lips that seemed unable to leave over his past two days being home.

"Glee rehearsal. Shue's been having us come in in the evening a few times a week. We're almost ready for regionals!" Finn explained excitedly.

"Great! Gosh, I really miss you guys sometimes..." Kurt said wistfully, turning his attention to the slowly growing pile of dishes in the sink and wondering if he should attend to them

"Well…I mean, I don't think it would be that big of a deal…" Finn muttered to himself. Kurt glanced up at him curiously. "What the heck? Why don't you come with? I bet everyone'd love to see you."

Kurt opened his mouth slightly, pleasantly surprised, but quickly said "Are you sure? You don't think Rachel would be angry? She'd probably assume I was there to spy…"

Kurt laughed fondly, thinking of Rachel and their newly founded friendship, but assuring himself she wouldn't be afraid to risk their new bond in order to protect their chances for regionals.

"Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine. Come with!" Finn added enthusiastically. Kurt couldn't help but smile. He sighed dramatically, laughing to himself "Oh, FINE! If I must."

Finn just shook his head and motioned for Kurt to lead the way out to the garage where Finn's truck was waiting. Kurt grinned to himself, deciding to forget the dishes and attend to them when they returned. He was going to see his old friends again and sit in on a Glee rehearsal which never failed to leave him smiling. Nothing could bring him down he thought blissfully.

xxxxxxxx

Finn entered the choir room ahead of Kurt to a chorus of "Hey, Finn." Kurt heard Rachel's little squeak and could imagine her skipping forward and standing on tiptoes to wrap her arms around Finn's neck.

"So guys, I have a little surprise…" Finn smiled and turned to the door. Kurt slid into view and smiled at the familiar room.

Rachel met his eyes first, and to his surprise, instead of accusing him instantaneously of trying to take down her beloved Glee club, repeated the same gasp she produced for Finn and bounded to Kurt, wrapping her arms around him, although not having to lift herself up for this embrace. He was startled, and laughed at her sudden welcome, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled away and returned her bright smile. She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the room. Everyone greeted him, smiling.

"Hey Kurt!"

"My MAN, what's goin on?"

"Baby!"

Many hugs were exchanged and finally after a good few minutes of excited chatter, the group settled as Mr. Shue entered the room.

"Ok gang, we've gotten a lot done in the past couple days but we've still got a lot of practicing to- Oh!" Mr. Shue finally looked up and noticed Kurt sitting between Rachel, her arm looped through his, and Mercedes.

"Kurt! Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, smiling and striding over to hug Kurt quickly.

"Well, I'm home for the week and Finn said I should come along and sit in on rehearsal…if you don't mind of course…" he smiled at his old teacher.

He felt Rachel's grip tighten on his arm and she bounced slightly on her chair, mouthing "Pleeeeasseee?" at Mr. Shue. From the feel of her grip, Kurt was pretty sure even if Shuester said no, Rachel wasn't letting Kurt go any time soon.

"Of course, Kurt, you're always welcome here. As long as I don't see the Warblers rehearsing our number any time soon" Shuester added with a wink. "Ok, guys, down to business…" he started, turning back to the rest of the group.


	2. Chapter 2

The rehearsal was fantastic. Everyone had renewed energy at Kurt's surprise appearance and put on a fantastic performance. In the middle, everyone bursting with excitement, Quinn and Tina had rushed forward and pulled Kurt out of the seats, dragging him to the middle of the room to sing with them. It was the most fun Kurt had had in a while, singing and dancing with all his old friends again.

At the end, everyone gathered their things but hung back, talking and laughing. Kurt pulled his phone from his bag and checked his messages. He had one new message from Blaine:

_Hey Kurt! What are you up to? I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tomorrow? Call me ;)_

Kurt smiled at his phone, feeling stupid but gleeful at the prospect of spending time with Blaine tomorrow. He quickly typed a reply:

_Wouldn't miss it! With Finn and people right now. I'll call you when I get home. Expect my ring in like 30?_

He felt a light punch make contact with his shoulder as he clicked send and turned to see Finn smiling next to him, his arm around Rachel's shoulders and her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Hey man, a bunch of us are gonna go get something to eat. You in?"

Kurt smiled at Finn and Rachel, and nodded. Mercedes walked up next to Rachel. "Hey Kurt, you coming with us?" she smiled, and he nodded again.

"Great! Let me go see who else is going…"

Soon word had spread around the room and the group had grown from Kurt, Finn, Rachel, Mercedes and Puck to the whole club. Everyone started making their way towards the parking lot, planning to meet up at the nearby all night diner, when Finn stopped halfway to the school's exit.

"Aw crap, I'll be right back guys. I left my jersey in the locker room from practice today and I need it for tomorrow's pickup game."

"Not to worry," Kurt smiled at his stepbrother. "I'll get it."

"Hey, thanks man. We'll wait out in the car." He said, taking Rachel's hand and leading her and Mercedes through the exit.

Kurt turned and strolled back towards the locker room. He looked around his old school as he walked, recalling all the memories that came with it... He hummed to himself as he pushed the door to the locker room open and turned the corner to where Finn's locker waited. He stopped dead.

Apparently Finn wasn't the only one who'd left something behind. About 5 feet away, alone and looking just as shocked as Kurt, stood Dave Karofsky.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter was pretty short! Next chapter's the most intense so keep going!


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt's mouth opened in a small o and the shock of seeing the entire reason he'd left his friends and his school. He stood frozen on the spot, staring at Karofsky.

Karofsky seemed to recover more quickly than Kurt as he finally turned full on towards the small boy, his hands clenched into fists.

"What are you doing here, faggot?" Karofsky sneered dangerously at Kurt. Kurt wanted to turn and run, yell, do something, but something in the atmosphere was different, something he couldn't identify, but that something kept him frozen to his spot. Kurt searched Karofsky's furious face and noticed his eyes were bloodshot. Had he been drinking? Or was he high? Kurt realized the answer didn't matter. He just needed to be far away from the burly, angry boy as quickly as possible. But his legs didn't seem to respond when his mind was screaming "Run!"

In a flash, Karofsky was in front of Kurt and Kurt blinked furiously when a sudden pain erupted in his cheek, and he hit the tile floor. He realized he was bleeding and looked up at Karofsky, just now realizing he'd been punched in the face. Kurt slid backwards, pressing himself up against the lockers, trying to put as much space between him and Karofsky as possible. He glanced at the doors, trying to plan an escape when Karofsky was over him again and he felt the football player's foot impact his stomach. Kurt doubled over, clutching his gut, his face in his knees.

Before he knew it, Karofsky was pulling him on his feet by the collar of his sweater, and used his fat hand to smash Kurt's head against the metal locker. Kurt's vision blurred and all he heard was Karofsky's shaky voice shouting "You come here to mess with me a little more, faggot?" Another impact in his cheek. Kurt gasped, trying to yell for help but no sound came out.

"Well I'll show you! You can't fight me you little shit! I'm stronger than you! I'm stronger!"

Kurt took in Karofsky's words, and by them, something in the back of his mind verified Karofsky was intoxicated. His babble made no sense, but Kurt barely thought of this when he felt a punch in his stomach and his head smash against the lockers again.

"I'll teach you a lesson, faggot!" Karofsky screeched. He suddenly spun Kurt around, and shoved him face first against the lockers. Before he realized what was happening, Kurt felt a tug on his jeans and realized his pants were around his ankles. Karofsky wrapped a hand around the back of Kurt's neck, holding him against the locker. Kurt heard a zipper and the rustle of jeans being forced done, and an awful fleshy thrusting along with Karofsky's grunt.

And then pain. Not the pain that came with a punch or a kick but a pain that radiated inside Kurt. Karofsky had smashed himself up against Kurt and he felt Karofsky slide into him. Kurt gasped and a slight yell escaped him, a cry of pain and fear. He felt Karofsky moving behind him, thrusting in and out. Kurt's mind finally seemed to register what was happening. He gasped and whispered to himself, "No, no, no! God, no! Please!" His face pressed against the cool metal and being jerked forward and back, he screamed in his mind, while he mouth only emitted small yelps and moans. He struggled, trying to free himself from Karofsky's grasp, who in return only thrust harder and faster, intensifying Kurt's pain. He felt salty tears running down his face, and he tried to pretend he was anywhere else, pretend this wasn't happening.

His thoughts wandered to Blaine, the feel of his hands and his encouraging talks whenever Kurt's courage seemed to dim. He wished he could be with Blaine right now, wrapped in his arms, safe and warm, away from this locker room and the terrible pain he experienced. His attempt at escape was interrupted by Karofsky's groaning, and he felt the boy slide out of him but he did not return this time. Kurt pressed his forehead against the locker, praying it was over but too scared to move away.

He heard Karofsky's low, grunty whisper behind him.

"Pull your pants up, bitch."

For a moment, Kurt stood motionless, transfixed. Suddenly, Karofsky's fist connected with the metal right aside of Kurt's head, accompanied by a yell of "NOW!"

Kurt scrambled to pull his pants on and turned, facing the shaking Karofsky. Karofsky's hands were on Kurt's shoulders and he shoved Kurt to his knees, his face level with Karofsky's genitals. For a moment, Karofsky stopped, examining Kurt. He proceeded to bend down and rip Kurt's sweater off over his head and threw it to the side. He then turned back to Kurt and glared down at him. Kurt looked up at him, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

"Put it in your mouth, faggot." Karofsky growled. Kurt stared at him, his brain not understanding, not wanting to. Karofsky grunted in frustration and in a moment had leaned forward anyway, forced Kurt's mouth open and shoved himself inside. Kurt shot back, pressing himself against the lockers, trying to escape, but Karofsky simply leaned forward and now thrust himself in and out of Kurt's mouth. Kurt felt himself choking, and he tried to breathe through the flesh being shoved in and out of his mouth. Finally, Karofsky grabbed a fistful of Kurt's hair and growled dangerously "Suck it, bitch." Kurt, too terrified to disobey, did as he was told. Karofsky slid himself again into Kurt's mouth. Reluctantly, Kurt slid his tongue all around, sobbing silently as he went. Karofsky moaned and, still gripping Kurt's hair, proceeded to force Kurt's head back and forth, shoving himself deeper into Kurt's throat. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, he pulled himself out of Kurt's mouth and, one hand still in Kurt's hair, one hand vigorously rubbing, came on Kurt's bare chest.

Kurt shuddered and tried to press himself further against the lockers, trying to distance himself even more. Karofsky sighed and pulled Kurt back onto his feet. He pushed Kurt back against the lockers, a hand around his throat, holding him there.

"Quit crying you pathetic little faggot." Karofsky growled. Kurt tried to slow the flowing tears but they came quicker now, and he clamped his eyes shut, trying to pretend he was anywhere else. He felt Karofsky's lips smash up against his and Karofsky's tongue force his mouth open. He mumbled into Kurt's open mouth "You like that? You liked that, didn't you, bitch?"

Karofsky's mouth moved away, his lips moving down to Kurt's neck, and Kurt turned away, staring towards the door. Moaning and gasping in agony, wishing for any freedom, even death. Especially death. "Kill me…" he breathed, his eyes clasped shut. Then, the locker room door banged open.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt's eyes flashed open and he wanted to yell out loud, do anything, as a mixture of hope and fear spread through his body. Finn stood in the doorway, Puck behind him, and both had stopped dead in their tracks, taking in the scene. Kurt, pressed against the lockers, face tear-stained, his bare chest covered in Karofsky's cum, and Karofsky, gaping at them, pants and boxers around his knees, his outstretched arm holding Kurt by the neck, pressing him against the locker. The four boys stared at each other for a moment. Kurt looked anxiously between Finn and Puck, terrified of the possible thoughts running through their heads.

Suddenly, an animal like cross between a yell and a growl erupted from Finn as he seemed to find the ability to move again and charged at Karofsky. Karofsky didn't have time to react as Finn collided with him, shoving him to the ground, fists swinging, all the time Finn spitting various curse words into Karofsky's face. Puck was right behind him, in seconds also on top of Karofsky, swinging and assisting Finn in the assault. Kurt slid to the ground, staring at the tangle of the boys, wanting to do something, but now realizing how physically incapable he was of movement, too sore and in too much pain to move.

Just then the locker room door burst open again. Rachel stumbled through. She had evidently been waiting outside and had rushed in at the sounds of the attack. She took in the scene and screamed. Puck turned, realizing her presence.

"Get him out of here!" He yelled, gesturing towards Kurt. Rachel, shaking, ran to Kurt, and took his face in her hands, tears now streaming down her face "Kurt! Oh my god, Kurt, are you ok?" She cried. He tried to answer, but could only stare back at her panting. Rachel, afraid to hurt him, but more afraid to leave him in the same room as the fighting boys, grabbed Kurt under the arms and dragged him out the locker room.

Outside, she lay him against the wall in the hallway and again took his face, sobbing uncontrollably. "Kurt? Kurt? Kurt, honey, please! Answer me!"

Kurt, now fighting to stay conscious, the pain overwhelming him, simply stared back at her, his eyelids fluttering. In a moment, he slipped into unconsciousness.

Rachel, her eyes flashing from the bruises blooming all over Kurt's body and the blood smeared on his cheek and matted in his hair, sobbed, panicking, trying to decide what to do. Finally, when all reasonable thought escaped her, she simply held the unconscious boy to herself, not caring about the vile liquid smearing her turtleneck, and screamed at the top of her lungs,

"Help! God, help me! Please, someone, help!"

She cried harder, still screaming for help, holding Kurt to her, her mind flashing between him, and keeping him alive to her boyfriend and friend in the next room, tumbling around with Kurt's attacker. Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps coming from far off and people yelling and gasping. She turned to see the entire Glee club rounding the corner, all still shivering from the cold of the parking lot as the group had waited, and at the sight of Rachel on the ground, sobbing and clutching the unconscious, half naked Kurt, they all rushed forward, forgetting their previous thoughts of annoyance at the fact that Kurt's task was taking so long.

As the group reached Rachel and Kurt, shouts came from all directions.

"What the fuck happened?"

"Oh my god!"

"Is Kurt ok?"

"Where's Finn and Puck?"

Through her tears, Rachel managed to gasp "I don't know! I don't…Finn and Puck…locker room…Karofsky!"

At her final word, everyone stood, taken aback. In seconds, Sam and Mike turned, rushing into the locker room, Artie close behind them. Tina knelt beside Kurt and put her arm on his shoulder, her eyes and mouth wide open, taking him in. Mercedes knelt too, silent tears rolling down her cheeks and grasped Kurt's hand. Quinn, Brittany and Santana all stood above the group, Santana holding Brittany who looked utterly terrified and more than anything confused. Quinn had whipped out her cell phone and now spoke hurriedly to a 911 dispatcher, begging for an ambulance and the police.

Mr. Shuester came around the corner behind them next.

"Guys, what happened? I heard the noise and-" He yelled, running towards them, but went silent at the sight of the unconscious Kurt. "…What…" He gasped. The girls simply stared at him. He finally spoke, his voice dark.

"Someone call 911."

"I did." Quinn gasped, sounding as though she was fighting back tears.

A cry erupted from the locker room. Mr. Shue glanced at the girls, then burst into the locker room.

He ran into the locker room and didn't stop until he in the midst of the assault, Dave Karofsky, badly bruised and bloodied, throwing Sam off him. Mike stood, also badly beaten, if front of Artie, apparently trying to hold the cripple back from joining the attack. Finn and Puck ran at Karofsky together, and Shue reacted quickly, grabbing Puck around the waist from behind and pulling him away. Puck flailed and shouted, trying to get at Karofsky, but Mr. Shue shoved him against the wall, holding him there shouting "Noah! Stop it! Stop it now! Calm down." Sam stood, recovering from the blow, and saw Mr. Shue holding Puck back.

"Sam!" Shuester shouted. "Grab Finn! Pull him off David! NOW, Sam! Please!"

After a second's contemplation, Sam stood and copied Shuester, grabbing Finn around the waist and shoving him against the lockers. Finn fought harder than Puck, screaming like a wild animal and pushing against Sam who tried desperately to restrain him.

"You fucking piece of shit! How dare you! I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!" Finn screamed, manic. Karofsky retreated against the back wall, his hand held up to his nose which gushed dark blood.

Puck had finally calmed and Mr. Shue released him. Puck glared dangerously at Dave who stared at each of them, especially Finn, a look of hatred and fear directed at him. Puck ran to help Mr. Shue and Sam restrain Finn who didn't look as though he would be calming down any time soon. The three men, holding the quarterback , struggled as Finn fought furiously, screaming.

"Let go of me! I'm gonna kill him! You'll fucking die for this Karofsky!"

Mr. Shue grabbed Finn's shoulder and shoved him against the locker, trying to force Finn's attention on him.

"Finn, stop it! Stop! Finn, we called the police, they're coming. Stop it, Finn!

Finn stopped struggling for a moment, still shaking violently with rage, but Sam and Puck knew better than to let him go. Finn pointed at Karofsky shouting.

"You want me to stop? You don't want me to hurt him? Do you realize what he did to Kurt? Do you know what he did to my brother?"

"I understand Finn! I know! Trust me, I'm just as angry as you, but you need to stop this! You can't do this Finn or the police will take you in as well!"

"I don't care! I don't care if I go to jail! I'll kill him!"

"Finn, listen to me! You can't go to jail because Kurt needs you!"

Finn stopped, Mr. Shuester's words taking the affect he had hoped for.

"Finn," Mr. Shue started in a gentler voice, "I know. I know what you want to do. But Finn, Kurt needs you right now. The police are coming and trust me, he will get what he deserves. But your brother needs you Finn. Please…"

Finn finally seemed to relax, his tensed muscles going slack, and, after exchanging a glance, Sam and Puck released him. He stared dangerously at Karofsky who had shrunk into the farthest corner of the room, glaring at all of them. Finn turned and punched the locker behind him, leaving a massive dent, and stormed out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Finn moved more slowly out into the hall where the group of girls stood around Kurt, still crumpled on the ground but his eyes now slightly open, watching Finn approach.

Finn knelt beside Rachel on Kurt's side, taking in the various purple marks swelling on Kurt's pale skin. Finn glanced at Rachel quickly, black makeup streaked down her cheeks, her eyes still red and watery from crying. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him, where she gratefully pressed into his shoulder, while he stared into Kurt's half-open eyes and took his hand gently.

"Hey bro," he finally managed, and everyone could hear in his shaking voice he was also on the verge of tears.

Kurt looked up at Finn and responded with a whispered "Hey…"

Finn stared at Kurt, evidently trying to think of some comfort to offer.

"Y-you're gonna be ok man. I promise." Finn said, sounding as though he was also re-assuring himself.

Kurt just smiled weakly and Finn sniffed loudly.

"It hurts…" Kurt whimpered suddenly, sounding like a small, terrified child.

Finn breathed in sharply. "I know…I know" he whispered, squeezing Kurt's hand.

The boys stared at each other for a moment. Kurt's eyelids fluttered, then slid closed.

Finn tensed, his eyes widening, staring at his stiff step-brother. "Is he…" he choked.

"No," Tina reassured him quickly. "He's breathing. He's got a pulse." She whispered, fingering Kurt's wrist.

Finn sighed, relaxing, and sat back, clutching Rachel to him tighter and squeezing Kurt's hand. Finn's eyes slid shut too and he whispered, to himself.

"That bastard…I'll kill him."

Rachel sat up quickly and took Finn's chin, forcing him to look at her. He stared into her eyes which suddenly were on fire.

"No you will not. Finn, we heard what Mr. Shuester said. He's right. As much as we'd all love you to 'kill him', Kurt needs you. You need to stay by his side. This is going to be a tough fight for all of us, but especially for him. And the best way for you to help him is not to go and beat up his attacker and hurt yourself too," her eyes grazed his crooked nose which she assumed was broken and gently wiped the blood collecting on his upper lip, "but to stand by him while he's fighting. Ok?"

Finn stared back into her eyes. He knew now was the worst possible moment to be thinking this, and that he should be more concerned about Kurt, but he realized, even in this state, her hair mussed, her eyes red and her face blotchy, fear etched into her skin, she was the most beautiful person he knew. He nodded slowly, and leaned in to kiss her lightly before pulling her back into his shoulder and turning his attention back to Kurt.

Just then, the other boys moved slowly out of the locker room, minus Mr. Shuester who had remained inside with Karofsky. Sam immediately moved to Quinn, who had just lost her fight against tears, and hugged her quickly, she burying her face in his shoulder. Puck stood behind Santana, his hand on her shoulder, and Artie wheeled over to hold Brittany's hand. Tina kissed the top of Kurt's head lightly and then stood and moved to Mike, her hands on his chest, tracing the scratch across his chest under the rip in his t-shirt.

The Glee club all together, surrounding the unconscious Kurt, staring at him, holding and comforting each other, waited for the arrival of the ambulance.


	6. Chapter 6

Not a minute after the boys had emerged from the locker room, the muffled sound of sirens could be heard and as the seconds passed, grew louder and louder.

"We'll go." Mike said, taking Tina's hand and leading her towards the exit where they heard the ambulance pulling up in the parking lot.

A moment later the couple returned with three paramedics, rolling a stretcher between them, and two cops behind.

The paramedics rushed to Kurt, two of them lifting him onto the stretcher and one turned to Finn.

"Are you family?" the man asked.

"Yea," Finn responded shakily, standing, pulling Rachel with him and reluctantly releasing Kurt's hand. "Yea, I'm his brother."

"Do you want to come with us in the ambulance?"

"Yes." Finn responded instantly. He turned to Rachel. "Come with us."

Rachel glanced at the paramedic, who nodded.

Puck grabbed Finn's shoulder quickly. "We'll meet you there, man."

Finn nodded and turned away, leading Rachel with him, and walked after the paramedics.

Rachel glanced back as Puck began to explain the situation to one officer and the other strode out of the locker room, leading Karofsky, who was handcuffed, and followed by Mr. Shuester, who looked thoroughly exhausted. Rachel got her first look at Karofsky and gasped as she realized the amount of damage inflicted upon him by her friends and boyfriend.

Karofsky stalked out in front of the officer, two black eyes blooming, his nose apparently broken as well, gushing blood, his lip cut and swollen, his shirt specked with blood and Rachel could only imagine the multiples bruises on his skin beneath his clothes. His expression was one Rachel couldn't understand. He looked angry, confused and bored all at once. All the students tensed as he passed, glaring, directing as much hate as they could possibly convey through their eyes.

Rachel turned away, not wanting to face Karofsky as he was led away, and hurried to keep up with Finn and the paramedics.


	7. Chapter 7

At the hospital, Finn and Rachel sat in the waiting room while Kurt was being examined. One of Finn's hands was held by Rachel's tiny two, and his other clutched his cell phone. He stared down at it, hesitating.

"Come on, Finn. You have to call them."

Finn shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

"I know, I know. I just…how can I face Burt? How can I…I was supposed to protect him. I was supposed to watch out for him. And then I go and let this happen. Dammit… This is all my fault."

Rachel took Finn's chin again and made him stare into her eyes.

"Finn Hudson, you listen to me. This. Is not. Your fault." She whispered fiercely, separating the words. "You are not responsible for what happened today. There is nothing you could have done. The only one responsible for this is that monster Karofsky who is currently being bandaged up by doctors and then is being shipped off to jail where he belongs."

"Rachel, this IS my fault! If I hadn't asked him to come with me tonight…If I'd just gone to get the damn jersey myself…none of this…nothing…" he trailed off, trying to hide the angry tears spilling over his eyelids.

Rachel stood, pulling him up, a feat for her being as small as she was, but he willingly obliged, and she pulled him out of the waiting area into an empty corridor.

In the empty hall, Rachel stopped and pushed Finn against the wall. She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips, staring up at him.

"Finn, don't you dare blame yourself for this. This wasn't your fault. The fact that you brought Kurt to Glee tonight and let him get your jersey for you has nothing to do with it. The fact is, the only reason this happened is because Karofsky was there and there is something very, very wrong with him. So don't even think you are responsible. Kurt needs you to be strong for him. How can you be strong when you're worked up trying to convince yourself that he's in this position because of you? The truth is, he isn't, and you can't worry yourself over that. All you can do is stay strong and give that strength and hope to Kurt."

Finn stared at Rachel again, allowing her words to sink in and realizing in the back of his mind, as little as he wanted to accept it, she was right. He stared at her, remembering the moment in the hall at school where she had given him strength before, and remembering how much in that moment and this, how very, very much he loved her.

He pulled her into him then, embracing her, holding her as tightly against him as he could. He never wanted to let her go, and he imagined physically soaking up the strength and love she had just tried to impress upon him. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled away slightly to look into her eyes again. She looked back, and he couldn't help but bring one hand to her hair, wrapping his fingers in it and bring her mouth to his.

The kiss they shared in that moment, holding each other in a deserted hospital hallway, trying to believe in the strength of each other and trying to maintain hope for their friend, many rooms away, was perhaps the most magical either had ever experienced.

He kissed her slowly, gently at first, their lips just adjusting to the shape of the others', and slowly Finn pushed his tongue through his lips, parting Rachel's and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, their tongues meeting and exploring each other. After a moment, Finn pulled his mouth away from hers and kissed her jaw, moving down her neck. At the soft spot at the base of her neck, he kissed, open-mouthed, licking and sucking on the spot. She arched into his embrace, gasping at the sensation on her neck and moving her hips against his, rubbing their pelvises dangerously close.

After a moment, she sighed, Finn now kissing along her collarbone (she had removed her dirty turtleneck and now wore only a white cotton scoop neck that revealed far more cleavage than she'd ever wanted).

"Finn…" she whispered grimly.

"What is it, babe?" he mumbled against her, continuing to kiss every inch of skin he could see.

"Kurt…" she sighed regrettably.

Finn sighed too and pulled away, looking into her eyes once more.

"Yea, you're right." He sighed again, and released Rachel who was still arched into his hips.

"Later." She whispered in his ear and her hot breath made him want to melt.

"Promise?" he asked, stealing one last kiss on her ear, inhaling her sweet aroma.

"Yes." She laughed. "And Finn?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, his face still buried in her hair.

"You need to call Burt."


	8. Chapter 8

Finn and Rachel sat back in the waiting room now, Finn just off the phone with Burt. As Finn recalled the brief conversation, he swore to himself he'd never forget the sound in Burt's voice after Finn broke the news.

"Hey, kiddo! How's it going?" Burt had answered enthusiastically on the second ring.

"Burt…there's um…something happened." Finn could hear the lifelessness in his own voice.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Burt now sounded concerned. Finn could hear his mom in the background whispering "What is it?"

Finn breathed in deeply, not knowing how to answer. After a minute,

"It's….Kurt…" It was all he could manage.

It was the most intense silence Finn had ever experienced. He listened to Burt's breathing catch on the other line. Finn waited. He wanted to break the silence, but what was he supposed to say?

Finally, Burt responded, his voice dark, a mixture of anger, fear, and something Finn just couldn't identify, "Where are you?"

"St. Lima's." Finn said quickly. He listened to Burt suck in air sharply. Another silence, shorter, before Burt said "We'll be right there" and the line disconnected.

It was the most exhausting 40 second conversation of his life. He slumped down in his seat just thinking about it. He laid his head back, pressing it against the wall and felt Rachel squeeze his hand. They sat in silence for a few moments before Rachel sat up in her seat and exclaimed "Oh!"

Finn opened his eyes and looked to her, curious.

"Finn," she started "you should…you should really call Blaine too."

Finn considered this. He had made a point to avoid Blaine whenever he came around to hang out with Kurt. He had initially told Kurt it was because it just kind of weirded him out, which had led to a few days of Kurt sulking before getting over it. But in all honesty, Finn was excited for Kurt, possibly finding a new love interest. The reason he avoided the two was he was afraid he would open his mouth and screw things up for his stepbrother.

But now he realized the situation was unavoidable.

He sighed "Do you have his number?"

"Yea" she muttered, digging around in her jacket pocket for her cell phone. She pulled up her contacts and scrolled to _Blaine Anderson_ and turned the screen towards Finn.

Finn typed in the number quickly and held his phone to his ear. After about 3 rings, a groggy voice answered.

"Yea, hello?"

Finn wondered for a moment why Blaine sounded so tired, before glancing up at the clock and realizing it was already midnight. He turned his attention back to the phone.

"Hi, Blaine. Uh, this is Finn. Finn Hudson. Kurt's brother."

"Oh. Hi." Blaine responded, still sounding like he wanted nothing more than to be asleep again.

"Blaine…look I can tell you're sleeping and all, but…there's been an incident. Kurt's…he's not doing too well. We're at St. Lima's and Rachel thought I should call you…" he trailed off, waiting for Blaine to tell him off for waking him in the middle of the night.

The silence on the other line was almost as uncomfortable as the previous one with Burt. Finally, Blaine answered. All of a sudden he didn't sound very tired at all but very much awake and very alert.

"What. Happened?" He muttered into the phone.

"It was…it's…" Finn started, not knowing how to explain the situation. Blaine cut him off completely.

"I'll be there in 45 minutes. Maybe less."

And the line disconnected before Finn could protest.

Rachel looked up curiously at Finn who put his phone away, feeling strangely winded.

"Well?" she asked.

"He's on his way."

Rachel smiled slightly to herself and Finn resumed his position, resting his head on the back of his chair, his eyes shut. At that moment, all the other Glee kids tumbled into the waiting room, finally, all looking completely exhausted but extremely concerned. Finn looked up as Puck immediately made his way to his best friend, settling into the chair next to him. Santana and Brittany settled at Puck and Finn's feet, Artie hovering above Brittany. Mercedes sat next to Rachel, Mike sitting at Mercedes's feet and pulling Tina into his lap. Sam and Quinn stood next to the group, Sam holding Quinn around the waist, whom honestly looked like she would be overcome by sleep any moment.

Finally after a moment, Puck turned to Finn and asked quietly "Did they say anything?"

"No," Finn sighed in response, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. "Nothing."

Puck sighed and squeezed Finn's shoulder quickly. A moment later, Mr. Shuester came in and sat across from the group, not saying anything but nodding in Finn's direction when he entered. Tina spoke up first, asking "Mr. Shue, what'd he say?" referring to Karofsky. Mr. Shue only shook his head and sighed "Later."

In 5 minutes, Carole and Burt had rushed in but were quickly ushered away to another room by a nurse behind the counter who'd promised Finn when they arrived that she would explain to his parents and assured him what he needed to do was sit and calm down.


	9. Chapter 9

After what seemed like hours, Finn still sat in his chair, Rachel still holding his hand, though she had drifted to sleep, slouched on his shoulder, long ago. Puck was drifting in and out of sleep next to him, Santana dead asleep, leaning against his legs and Brittany snoring softly in her lap. Even Mr. Shue had drifted off to sleep, along with Tina and Mike, Mike still cradling Tina in his lap on the ground. Quinn had slumped into a chair a while ago, and Finn wasn't aware whether or not Artie, Mercedes and Sam were still awake, but he didn't attempt to find out. He glanced at the clock overhead. 12:30. He fought back the waves of exhaustion, his eyelids begging to slide shut, but reminded himself of his brother a few doors away who he needed to stay awake for. After about 5 minutes of the silence, the emergency room doors burst open and a curly haired boy in a maroon cardigan and jeans stormed into the room.

Finn had only ever seen Blaine a few times before, but in this instant he was almost unrecognizable. He looked like he should be angry, shaking slightly, his brow knitted, but his eyes gave away his terror. He found Finn in the crowd of sleeping students and nodded, gesturing towards the empty hall Finn had been in with Rachel about an hour earlier. Finn tried to quietly and gently move away from the group, carefully sliding his hand out of Rachel's and stepping over Brittany, sprawled on the floor. He turned back quickly and realized he truly was the only one still awake, and then followed Blaine's retreating back into the empty hall.

Once in the hall, Blaine turned to Finn and asked the question the tall boy had been dreading.

"What happened to him?"

"I…uh…look, Blaine this is really hard to explain…"

Blaine's eyes bore into Finn's, pleading.

"Finn, please. I need to know."

Finn looked back at Blaine and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know exactly what happened. All I know is…well…we were at the school and Kurt had gone off to the locker room. He was taking a while getting back so Puck, Rach and I went to look for him. Me and Puck went into the locker room and we saw…" Finn trailed off, not even wanting to complete the thought, let alone the sentence.

"Yes?" Blaine stared imploringly at Finn, hanging off his every word.

"We saw…we saw Karofsky," he noticed Blaine tense at the name and continued "Karofsky and Kurt in there and…I don't know exactly what happened man, but…Kurt was crying and he was really beat up bad and…Karofsky…he had his…his pants down and…" Finn sighed to himself, finally admitting defeat against the thought he'd been avoiding all night. "I think Karofsky raped Kurt." Finn finished, his fist pressed to his forehead. Even speaking the words, Finn felt a hot, acid sensation in the back of his throat, like just before you throw up.

When Blaine didn't answer, Finn looked up. Blaine stood, frozen, his mouth hanging open, apparently still trying to register what Finn had said. He saw Blaine's eyes twitch, as though he were fighting back angry tears. Blaine moved then, putting his face in his hands. He began to pace, his palms on his forehead and his fingers wrapped very tightly in the top of his curls, pulling.

"God dammit…dammit, dammit, dammit!" With the final curse, Blaine shook and stopped pacing, turning to the wall opposite Finn and punching it hard, leaving a gaping hole.

"Hey, man! Calm down! Look, I know-" Finn started

"No, you don't know! You don't understand! This is my fault! Dammit!" Blaine cried, looking dangerously close to punching something again.

"Wha-What? How is this your fault?" Finn watched Blaine pacing again, extremely confused.

"Because I knew! I knew and I told Kurt to stand up to that jackass…"

"Wait…you knew? You knew what?"

Blaine turned to Finn and faced him, staring at him, looking absolutely sickened with himself.

"I knew," he began slowly "that Karofsky was gay. And I knew how he felt about Kurt. And I knew that the reason he bullied Kurt so much was because he was taking out his sexual frustration on Kurt. I knew that and I told Kurt to stand up to him! I told him 'Courage! Have courage, Kurt!'" Blaine mimicked his own voice, higher, each word dripping with self-loathing. "I'm so stupid! I'm so…I told him to stand up to Karofsky when he should've…If he'd just run…I never thought it would go here, never…I'm so stupid! I can't believe…" Blaine trailed off, still seething. Finn stared at him, his brain trying to realize what he was hearing.

"You…knew?" he almost growled it and before he could stop himself, he'd grabbed Blaine by the collar of his cardigan and was shoving him up against the newly dented wall.

"You knew?" he shouted this time. Blaine looked surprised, but not afraid. In fact, Finn thought he saw something in Blaine's eyes that looked as though Blaine felt he deserved this.

"Huh?" Finn yelled, shoving Blaine against the wall again.

"Finn!" A high-pitched squeal erupted from the doorway to the hall and Finn turned to see Rachel cowering in the doorway, watching the scene.

At the sight of Rachel, he dropped Blaine and took a few steps back, not taking his eyes off his girlfriend. Rachel moved forward then, first looking to Blaine.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yea," Blaine muttered.

"Good. You," she said turning to Finn. She took his hands, which he realized were still clenched into fists, and held them down at his sides. "You need to stop this. I know you're angry baby, but you need to stop taking it out on everyone who walks by. Especially youself. Especially Blaine. Kurt's not going to be too happy when he wakes up and hears you've been beating on Blaine, is he?" she smiled sweetly, obviously trying to make him smile but still convey her message. Finn sighed again.

"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry, Rach, I'm just so…I can't believe this is happening."

"I know. But remember what we talked about? Just hang in there."

She turned to Blaine then. "Thanks for coming. We haven't heard anything yet. Do you want to come and sit in the waiting room with us?"

Blaine nodded, evidently still upset with himself and consumed by his own thoughts. Rachel reached out and took his hand, taking Finn's with her other and leading the two back into the waiting room. On the way, Finn muttered under his breath "Sorry." He wasn't sure if it had been loud enough for Blaine to hear, but he glanced up in time to see Blaine nod in his direction, and decided it was enough.


	10. Chapter 10

The three sat, the only ones awake in the waiting room, but didn't speak. Rachel massaged Finn's hand while Blaine sat across the room, his chin cupped in his hands, obviously deep in thought. Finn glanced at the clock again. 12:50. They'd been there over an hour and a half now and he was starting to worry. There should've been word by now, right? For a moment he wished Burt and Carole were there in the waiting room, but he still wasn't sure he was ready to face his step-father.

After another 10 minutes, at around 1:00, the doors leading into the back finally swung open and a man in a white long coat strode out. Finn was reminded of the feeling he had when he first saw Grilled Cheesus, seeing the man coming towards them after what seemed like an eternity. Finn stood quickly, startling Rachel, who'd drifted into a half slumber. She saw the doctor at the same time as Blaine and the three rushed to him quickly.

"Are you here for Kurt Hummel?" The man asked the three teens.

"Yea. How is he?" Finn asked anxiously.

The man shook his head and for a fleeting moment, something in Finn's stomach seized, imagining the worst.

"He's alive." The doctor said, his words returning to Finn the ability to breathe. "He's pretty banged up though. He's got about three cracked ribs, one broken completely. His jaw was dislocated and he's got a pretty bad concussion. He's lost a lot of blood. And the trauma to his…" the doctor trailed off, staring into the eyes of the bewildered teens.

"Look, kids," He said, dropping the formal doctor act entirely. "We're doing everything we can for him. And he's fighting. Trust me, he is fighting. Right now our main concern is the concussion. We're trying to wake him up and make sure he doesn't slip into a coma but he hasn't woken up yet." Blaine shuddered, fear in his eyes.

"That's about all I can tell you. I'm sorry. I just…how or why anyone could do this to that boy…I just…I don't understand." He walked away, shaking his head.

Finn turned sharply towards the retreating doctor. "Wait! Can we see him?"

The doctor turned back, looking dazed and exhausted. "What? Oh, yes. Of course. Room 320."

Rachel turned towards the slumbering Glee club and asked Finn "Should we wake them?"

"No…no, we will, after. But right now…I just need to be with him."

With that, the three headed through the double doors and made their way to room 320.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Blaine's eyes scanned the numbers painted onto the doors, hating every one that didn't read 320. He needed to see Kurt. He didn't care how awful it was, he just needed to see him. Finn and Rachel trudged along next to him. None spoke, yet he could feel the tension and everyone's mounting fear grow as they moved closer and closer to the end of the hall. 316…318…320.

Blaine stopped, staring at the heavy door. Suddenly he realized he was afraid. He needed to be with Kurt but…what was waiting for him behind those doors? What was left of his beloved Kurt? He glanced at Finn and Rachel, Finn staring at the door, clearly dreading opening it as much as he and Rachel glancing between the two of them, waiting for one to move. Blaine heard his own famous words to Kurt ringing in his ears. Courage. Courage he thought. He breathed in deeply and pushed open the heavy door.

Blaine gasped out loud at the sight. Kurt lay in the hospital bed, tubes coming out of every part of him, an IV dripping next to him and a heart moniter beeping steadily. Kurt lay still, unconscious, and as Blaine moved closer he saw all the swollen, purple marks along Kurt's body. He moved to the far side of Kurt's bed, staring him up and down. In a moment, he felt himself collapse into the chair next to the bed, unable to stand at the sight of the beautiful, broken boy. His hand lingered on the side of the bed, very close to Kurt's fingers. He wanted so much to reach out and touch him, but was afraid of Finn's reaction, who stood on the other side of the bed looking down at Kurt, his eyes misty.

'Screw it.' Blaine thought to himself. He reached out and grapsed Kurt's fingers, entwining his with the porcelain skinned boy's. If Finn noticed, he didn't say anything.

Finally Finn spoke "I…I need a minute," he said, turning and heading for the door. Rachel hurried after him, turning to Blaine quickly and saying "Stay with him. We'll go try to find Burt." And she scurried out of the room, the door closing with a snap.

* * *

A/N To be continued. Heavy Klaine/Finchel up next so bear with me. It's already written, just editing right now, so it should be up very soon!


	11. Chapter 11

Blaine turned back to Kurt, his thumb stroking Kurt's motionless index finger. He stared imploringly into Kurt's face. Even in the innocence that came with sleep, the small boy's face was still somewhat tense, screwed up from pain. Blaine looked upon little Kurt and felt tears stinging his eyelids, threatening to spill over again.

"Kurt…" he whispered hoarsely after a moment. "Please Kurt. Please be strong. Please wake up." He urged, giving Kurt's fingers a tight squeeze.

For a few minutes, Blaine sat just watching Kurt, holding onto his hand, watching his chest rise and fall steadily. Blaine began to realize how tired he was as he realized in the back of his mind that he felt like he needed to continue to watch Kurt breathe, for he believed for a second that the moment he looked away, Kurt would stop.

Soon, Blaine found himself humming a familiar tune, his automatic reflex in uncomfortable situations. He couldn't handle the eerie silence of the hospital room, accompanied by only mechanical beeps. It took Blaine a moment to realize what he was humming to himself. When he did, he laughed darkly out loud at himself. "Ha…wow. Kurt," he felt stupid talking to the sleeping boy who he knew couldn't hear him, but it made him feel better to pretend he wasn't completely alone.

"Kurt, do you know what I was just humming? Do you remember that song I played for you on the last day of school before break? Remember, on the piano?"

Blaine watched Kurt expectantly, hoping for some response. When nothing came, he continued.

"You know the one." He began to sing quietly under his breath, just loud enough for himself and Kurt to hear, had he been awake.

"Baby, you're not alone

Cause you're here with me

And nothing's ever gonna bring us down

Cause nothing can keep me from loving you

And you know it's true

It don't matter what'll come to be

Our love is all we need

To make it through…"

Blaine trailed off, staring at Kurt. After a moment, he went on,

"Kurt, you asked me who wrote the song and I pretended to forget. I did that because…Kurt, I wrote the song. About you." Blaine stopped, his confession ringing in his ears.

"I didn't tell you then because…because I was stupid. I should have. But Kurt," Blaine placed his other hand on Kurt's hand he already held, squeezing it with both hands.

"I-when I asked you to hang out tonight…I had promised myself that I would tell you. I promised myself that today I would…tell you…how I feel. About you. And I'm such a coward for doing this while your unconscious in the hospital," Blaine muttered, self-loathing seeping back into his voice.

"But Kurt, I just…I couldn't hold it in anymore. And with you the way you are…the way the doctors are talking…" Blaine stopped, his voice cracking and choking back tears, but forced himself to finish.

"I may never get this chance again. So I just need to say it." He paused, breathing in deeply and swiping away the tears pooling in his eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he stood, staring down into the closed eyes of the boy and whispered,

"Kurt Hummel; I love you."

He stopped, watching Kurt, taking in the impact of his own words. He repeated them to himself, adjusting to the feeling.

"Kurt Hummel…I love you." He turned back to Kurt, eager to finish.

"Kurt the way…the way you get so lost when you're singing…the way you smile at me whenever we're together…the way you still stand up straight and smile, even after everything you've been through…Kurt, you are beautiful. In every sense of the word. You're the most beautiful person I know, and you're stronger and braver than any person I've met. You keep fighting to love the life you've been given even when so many obstacles have been thrown your way. And even after this…Even after what that…that monster did to you…" Blaine trembled, his voice shaking angrily. "I…I know you're gonna make it. You're gonna get through this, Kurt. Because you are so strong. And…I know I act like I'm so strong and brave, but Kurt…I may have told you to have courage, but YOU are the one who inspired the courage in me. You are so…I don't even know how to say it, Kurt. I love you. That's it."

Blaine sat back in the chair, his feet on the ground, still clutching Kurt's hand and brushing away tears.

Then Blaine felt something, a strange movement in his hand. He looked up, not realizing what it was. He looked at his and Kurt's entwined fingers and gasped.

Kurt's fingers were twitching. They moved sharply at first, like they were re-adjusting to movement. Blaine watched anxiously, and slowly realized as Kurt's light fingers applied pressure to his, that Kurt was trying to squeeze Blaine's hand in return.

Blaine shuddered, fresh tears springing up, but he smiled down at Kurt who sighed softly and tilted his head somewhat to the right, in Blaine's direction.

After a moment, the pale boy's eyes fluttered open and focused, looking up at Blaine.

Blaine physically laughed out loud, choking on his own tears. He laughed at how unbelievably happy we was in this moment.

Kurt stared up at him for a moment, before groaning suddenly and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Will you stop crying?" he mumbled against the pillow, his usually high-pitched, sweet, bell-like voice sounded cracked and broken.

Blaine quickly wiped away the remaining tears, chuckling to himself. Of course this was the first thing out of Kurt's mouth.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like Gaga after the Grammy's after-party." He moaned, trying to bury his face further in his pillow.

Blaine couldn't contain his laughter. He knew he shouldn't but it was such a relief to hear Kurt talking again, just as witty and sarcastic as ever.

"What happened?" Kurt said, finally giving into the fact he wasn't falling back asleep and sitting up, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Ow! Damn…" he exclaimed as he moved his arm, now noticing the big purple marks everywhere.

Blaine stared at Kurt. How did he not remember? Blaine refused to be the one to tell him…he couldn't do that to him. She just stared, shocked, and Kurt turned expectantly back to him.

"You…you don't remember?" Blaine asked, dumbfounded.

At that moment, Kurt's half-smile faded and he sank back into the pillows. He pressed his eyes shut and when he spoke, Blaine realized he too was trying not to cry.

"Of course I do…" he muttered. "I was just really hoping I had dreamed it or something."

A moment of silence followed. Blaine could think of nothing to say, so he only squeezed Kurt's hand again. Kurt's eyes shifted open and he glanced down at his hand. A tiny gasp escaped him as he just now seemed to realize Blaine was holding his hand.

After a moment, obviously trying to re-direct the conversation, Kurt looked around and asked quietly "So are you the only one here?"

Blaine actually laughed a bit at this and Kurt turned to him, curious.

"No." he chuckled. "Kurt, the ENTIRE McKinley high Glee club is crashed out in the waiting room as we speak waiting for you to wake up. Even your teacher's out there. Finn and Rachel just left the room a few minutes ago, so they'll probably be back soon. Your dad and stepmom came in a while ago but I don't know where they went off to. And I left a note on the Warbler's rehearsal room saying I wouldn't be in and that I'd be here with you. Knowing them, they'll all be here by 7 tomorrow morning. Or, well, this morning I should say…" Blaine said glancing at the clock on Kurt's bedside table. Kurt gasped as he realized the time.

"Oh my god…Blaine it's 1:30 in the morning! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'd been waiting for you to call. I started to get a little worried when you didn't but I assumed you and your friends were just out later than you'd thought. I ended up falling asleep and I got a call from Finn around midnight. Rachel had thought I'd want to know. Finn started apologizing for waking me up and I was just like, are you serious? I wish he'd called me sooner so I could've been here earlier." Blaine smiled a wistful, tired smile at Kurt and Kurt felt his cheeks burning. Blaine had rushed out of bed and driven the 45 minutes here…just for him.


End file.
